Apparatus for cleaning the surface of anodes



Sept. 12, 1944. B. MORRISON APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE SURFACE OF ANODESFiled Nov. 7} 1941 If" I tie semen eats x. Budd sti le-A 'iiis'ionlctm eF ANODES ser ize. c assignor to Hudson} Bay -M1n1ng aid Snieltingicompany Liifi'itd;Winnipeg.Maiiitolia,'Caiia" a a mire Application.- ov

r admins:

apparatus for cleaning the surface odes,

hi 1921 a .1 9? heir ensu tehlaineyee eni. ast te..- emcee,- tionih-themanner well known in apparatus of particularly anodes of the lay e usedin the ele'ctrolytic recovery andlefining of & zinc a'nd the objects ofthe invention are tqproyide ple and convenient apparatus by whichimpurities may be removed from the .su

a d'ii'i l 'ajp' s a es fi' r vi ea the working s'ur with suitable spraycovers 20. Each spray 'oger def; fiexible-rubberandhe a ia ii a theanode without affecting face of the anode.

7 It consists essentially of a tankadapted to, i". ceive the anodes andthrohgh., which wate r is circulated and screened, and a seriesof pivo Imounted water jets from which jetsof wat e be directed on opposite sidesof the surface-of the anode after the anode hasbeen soaked liri the tankand during its withdrawal therefrom all as morefully set ,forth anddesoribed .ih" the accompanying specification and drawing.

In the drawing I Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus. t Ofthe 5 indicated in F e to pe t Figure 2 is a detail in sectionalelevation showthe anode to be lowered into the tank. ing the way inwhich the jets are caused to play The hose F is supplied with water froma suiton the surface of the anod able pump and the wash solution isreturned Figure 3 is an end view showing the manner from the tank to theP p through eturn of supporting the anode on a suitable crane as line Isuitably connected to one side of the vat it is being lowered into thetank. t the lower side thereof.

Figure 4 is an elevation showing the end of By the u of the apparatus ds d t s p the tank and the anode above the same, sible to removeimpurities from the working S111-v Figure 5 i a d t il l vatio showingthe face of anodes without disturbing the working surstruction of one ofthe jet arms, 0 face itself. The anodes used, fOl' example in the In thedrawing like characters of reference inrecovery of Zinc y e t o y arefrequently dicate corresponding parts in all the figures. formed of leadoralloyed lead which become Referring to the drawing, A indicates thewash coated with a film'peculiar to their composition solution vatconveniently divided into two comand which constitutes the workingsurface of the partments, one much smaller than the other, by anode.Foreign material, such as gypsum and a screen B conveniently of twentymesh. C and other material, tends to accumulate on this sur- D indicatesupply mains extending along the top face and it is desired to removethis without injury of the sides of the vat A connected to suitable tothe surface and filmf packing glands Ill and II, which by a suitable Inoperating the apparatus described the vat pipe fitting assembly E areconnected with a 40 A is charged with hot water by injecting steamflexible supply hose F, the fitting including a into a vat of cool wateror otherwise, and the jet T-coupling l2 uniting the branches l3, and I4arms assembled on the mains C and D are turned and having a pipeconnection l5 leading to the up into the position shown in Figure 4.- Ithas hose through a bearing [6. already been observed that the mains arefree to The extremity of the mains C and D remote turn by reason of thepacking glands I0 and H. from their connection with the hose F may be Ifdesired, operating levers for turning the mains conveniently supportedby a triangular framemay be attached to them at a convenient point. workG, the mains being mounted in the frame- The vat A having been filledwith hot water,

work with freedom to turn and the framework the anodes J whose surfaceis to be cleaned are itself being supported on a pivot pin I'I wherebycarried by suitable crane assembly K and are the mains may bereciprocated slightly laterally lowered into the larger compartment ofthe vat if desired. In order to provide conveniently for A until theinsulators 24, usually formed on the causing reciprocation of themanifold system consides of the anode, are below the top of the vatstituted by the mains C and D and the connec- A. A set of anodes from anelectrolytic cell may tions thereto a coupling bar H is provided suitbecarried on the crane assembly and spaced v... one.

. the pump is operated, causing the wash water to be drawn through thescreen B and discharged from thejets against the surface of the anodes,

as shown in Figure 2, the angle of incidenceb'ein'gf' 5 an acute angleof substantially 45". This action continues until the anodeshavebeenliited to. a; point where the insulators are, unto the jet arms.

During this action the foreign-1 .materia1;is re moved from the anodesurface andswept into the vat, where it is prever'ttedfroincirculatingthrough the pump by the screen B and settles in the vat, whereby it isdischarged on draining the vat at the end of the day. If necessary theanodes may be lowered and raised for'morethorough cleaning. When theanodes are satisfactorily cleaned the-jet assemblyis turned-up again andthe anodes completelyremoved from the vat and returned to theirrespective places in the electrolytic-@111 The apparatus" is then readyto receive the next-set of anodes tof be l d "By imparting a limitedreciprocating'motionto the supply mains C and 'D through'th'e member Hmore complete scanning of'the moving anode face may be achieved. v

What-I claimas my inventionisa 1. Apparatus for washing anodescomprising a tank adapted to receive a number of anode-plates andthrough which water maybe-circulated, a crane assembly havinga-pluralitybf supporting means "adapted to suspend a plurality or 5anode the supply mains at one end, a pipe fitting asplates in spacedrelation and parallel to each other, a plurality of parallel spaced jetarms extending transversely across the upper portion of the tank betweenwhich the anodes are adapted to be lowered, each of the said jet armshaving angular nozzles on eachside whereby jets of water may beangularly directed on to both surfaces of each anode plate if it becomesexposed 2 on being lifted vertically from the tank and supply mainsextending along the top of the tank and connected to the jet arms.

' 2 An apparatus for washing anodes comprisinga tank adapted to receivea number of anode plates, supply mains' extending along the top of thesides oftheta k, packing glands connected to sembly connected to thepacking glands, a framework supporting the supply mains at the endremote from the packing glands, said framework ibeing pivotally mountedwhereby the mains may be reciprocateds'lightly and means forreciprocating the aforesaid pipe fitting assembly.

3. Apparatus of the character described'comprising atank adaptedtoreceive a number of anode plates arranged vertically therein,- a craneassembly adapted to be connected to each anode plate by which they maybe raised and lowered into the tank, supply-means extending along thetop of the tank having packing glands thereon, a pipe fitting assemblyconnected to the packing glands, a flexible supply hose connected to theassembly,- a framework supporting the pipe assembly with freedom to bereciprocated slightly laterallyp 'a' coupling bar connected through asuitable fitting with the mains by-which they-may be reciprocated, jetarms provided on the mains and a spray cover on the je'tarmsj I BENJAMINMORRISON.

